West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-08-12
WINTER ON A HORSE RANCH.
How Cowboy Exists During the Lazy
Months--A Graphic Picture of Ranch
Life.-Horse Breeding in Mon
tana.

Montana Correspondence New York
Times.
The lay of the land here is pecul-
lar, and would at once attract the at
tention of man from the Eastern
States. Generally it is hilly, but
there are many perfectly level tracts,
with an area of two or three miles,
small steppes, as it were, and then
there are curious cOneshaped
mounds entirely devoid ofvegetation.
These mounds have certain precise
regularity of form, and are from ten
to twenty feet high, and some ten
feet wide at the base. Within sight
of the ranch are bad lands. When
these ridges are seen stretching
across the horizon they give an idea
of sterility, but on some of these ap-
parently barren lands the richest
grasses grow, on which our cattle
feed and take on fat substance.
The greater part Of Custer county
rises to IN elevation of $500 feet
above the level Of the sea. The air
is wonderfully dry and pure. and so
excellent is it that lung troubles are
quite unknown, and coughs and colds
almost unheard of. What is good
for man is good for beast, and.
strange to say, wind-broken horses
are never met with. Cold weather
comes on gradually, aud stays about
three or four weeks. In the middle
of the night and at daybreak the
thermometer will fall 40 degrees be-
low zero. At midday, with the sun,
the temperature rises rapidly, so
that by u o'clock the thermometer
will stand at from zero TO 10 degrees
above. You do not feel the cold as
much in Montana as in the New Eng
land or Middle States. It's steady
dry cold. Dressed warmly, you do
not care for it. With the least ex-
ercise you entirely forget how low
down is the mercury. This year has
been exceptional for the continuance
and depth of the snowfall. The Sc
verify of the winter has made game
very abundant, and more deer and
antelopes have been killed than for
many years previous. A herd Of
200 antelopes passed within two
miles Of the ranch early this month,
and often see from the house what
we call here Whitehall deer. Four
of them have lived all winter in the
pasture, and two of these were killed
so near to the house that we drag
ged them home through the snow.
Our cattle have not suffered from
the winter. There are some 800
which have been kept in view and
they look in good order, and even
some of the steers are fat. This Sec
ton of Montana, l think, must be-
come the great horse raising center
CT this country. English thorough
breds, Kentucky trotting stock. and
good-blooded Clydes, Normans and
Percherons can all live here through
the winter on the open ranges. A
horse camp, as it is called in Mon
tana. is generally inactive during
winter. Pomp of stables does not
exist. A small log house or"shack,"
built of cottonwood logs,a Storehouse,
and barn,all constructed Of logs s,with
u strong corral, make up horse
camp. In winter a man who is
called '.horse wrangler" remains
alone in charge of the animals. The
horse wrangler only "keeps up one
or two horses, because horses thus
kept up have to be fed on hay and
grain, both of which have to be
hauled long distance to the camp,
and horse breeder cannot afford to
feed any more horses than is strictly
necessary. In winter the horse wran-
gler rides over the range, where the
horses are, and keeps count of them.
Horses are more easily handled than
cattle. During bad weather they
seem to be more active, for cattle
will do What is called hump" them
selves, hunching their backs camel
fashion. and so stand motionless and
take the storm, while horses will
move about seeking shelter. The
horse uses his feet and paws up the
snow to feed on the herbage. while
the cattle push aside the snow with
their noses. When there is stiff
crust of snow cattle will soon have
sore noses, and be forced to stop
feeding, whereas horse will find
something toeat all day long. Range
horses, and even cattle, are often
fatter and in better condition after
winter of an ordinary kind than ami
mails which have been "kept up"
| during the same time.